Circuit connecter



H. A. DOUGLAS CIRCUIT CONNECTER Filed Sept. 3

Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 01? BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

CIRCUIT CONNECTER.

Application filed September 3, 1925. Serial No. 54,282.

My invention relates to circuit connecters employing shells that carrycontacts within their interiors and contact carriers provided withcontacts complemental to the aforesaid contacts and adjustably assembledwith the shells in order to open and close circuit. Hitherto. thesecontact carriers, provided for switching purposes, were in the form ofplugs located in ends of the shells, these switching plugs beingprovided with current conducting terminals with which the circuit wireswere mechanically and electrically connected. Because of this unionbetween the switching plugs, the current conducting terminals. and thecircuit wires, the manipulation of the switching plugs was renderedcumbersome and the mechanical and electrical connections-between thecircuit wires and the conducting terminals have become impaired.

In carrying out my invention, the circuit connecting plug at one end ofthe shell is held from rotation with respect to the shell and there isinterposed between this plug and the inner contacts within the shell,an-

other set of contacts upon a carrier that is adjustable with respect tothe shell to bring the contacts thereon into circuitclosing or circuitopening positions. This interposed contact carrier within the shellpreferably has pin and slot connection with the skirt of a cap that islocated'upon the contiguous end of the shell and which skirt preferablysurrounds this shell end.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view, partiallyin section and partially in elevation, showing a connecter' of myinvention and a lamp adapted to be included in a circuit thereby; Fig. 2is a sectional view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1 on line2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig 1: Fig. 4 isa longitudinal view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the connecter inlongitudinal section. thev lamp being shown in elevation; and Fig. 5 isa sectional view on line 5.5 of Fig; 4.

The shell 1 is preferably metallic and cylindrical or tubular. It hasbayonet slots 2 at one end adapted to receive the bayonet pins 3projecting from the sides of the base 4 of an incandescent lamp 5. Atthe other end of the shell there is another bayonet slot having anentrance opening 6 and a transverse continuation 7, this transversecontinuation of this bayonet slot having seats 8 and 9 for receiving thebayonet pin 10 prov1ded upon the skirt 11 of a cap 12, this cap skirtpreferably surrounding the bayonet slot at its end of the shell andbeing rotatable thereon and movable to a slight extent longitudinallythereof. The bayonet pin 10 pro ects inwardly from the cap skirt 11 andenters the slot 13 extending lengthwise in an insulating contact carrier14. This contact carrler supports two spring contact members inclusive,respectively, of metallic spring barrels 15, 16, metallic plungercontacts 17 and 18, and metallic coiled springs 19 and 20 which pressupon the plunger contacts and spring barrels in opposite directions. Thecontact carrier 14 is moved to circuit openmg and circuit closingositions preferably by turning the cap 12, rom which turning effort istransmitted to the contact carrier through the medium of the bayonet pinAnother contact carrier 21, of insulating material, is fixed within andwith respect to the shell 1. This contact carrier supports two springcontact members respectively inclusive of metallic spring barrels 22 and23, metallic plunger contacts 24 and 25, and metallic coiled springs 26and 27. In the case of the contact carrier 21, the spring barrels 22 and23 are fixed in relation thereto, the plunger contacts 24 and 25 alonebeing urged by the springs 26 and 27 into contacting position. Asillustrated in the drawing, the plunger contacts 24 and 25 are thusengaged with the lamp base contacts 28 and 29 that constitute theterminals of the lamp filament 30. The contact carrier 14 is held in afixed zone of rotation by means of the contact carrier 21 on one sideapid the cars 31 upon the shell 1 at the other s1 e.

The insulating plug 32 is assembled with the shell bymeans of tongues 33carried by and projecting outwardly from the shell and entering slots 34formed longitudinally in' the plug 32. These tongues prevent the plug 32from turning but permit sli'ght movement of the plug longitudinally ofthe shell. I The plug 32 carries two metallic terminals 35 and 36 whichare respectively aligned with the spring barrels 22 and 23" and theplunger contacts in these barrels. These terminal contacts are formedwith bores in which the ends of circuit wires 37 and 38 are received,the binding screws 39 and 40 holding these circuit wires and theirterminal contacts together. The cap 12 is provided with an insulatingbushlng 41 through which the circuit wires extend. The cap is alsoformed with an annular shoulder 42 against which the springs 19 and 2Qpress the plug 32 through the mtermediation of the plunger contacts 17and 18, these springs also slightly pressing the base ends of the springbarrels 15, 16 against the base ends of the spring barrels 22 and 23.When the circuit is to be closed, the cap 12 is turned to bring thespring barrels 15 and 16 and the plunger contacts in these springbarrels into alignment respectively with the terminal contacts 35 and 36and the spring barrels 22 and 23 whereby the lamp terminal 30 isincluded in circuit as illustrated. In this adjustment, the pin 10 islocated in the bayonet seat 9. When the circuit is to be opened, the capis turned to turn the contact carrier 14 to bring the plunger contacts17 and 18 into engagement with the insulation of the plug 32 and tobring the base ends of the s ring barrels 15 and 16 into engagement withthe insulation of the contact carrier 21, the bayonet pin 10 resting inthe bayonet seat 8 when this result has been fully brought about. Aslight hump 43 intervenes midway between the bayonet seats 8 and 9 toproduce a wedge-like cam element that aids in finally moving the bayonetpin 10 to the seat that it is to occupy. This hump 43 causes the cap tomove longitudinally on the shell. a slight distance when the bayonet pinis riding toward it and the springs 19 and 20 cause a reverselongitudinal movement of the cap when the hump 43 has been passed by thepin 10. During these longitudinal movements of the cap, the plug 32 iscaused to move longitudinally therewith, either by the shoulder 42 uponthe inner side of the cap when the pin 10 is riding onto the hump 43, orthe s rings 19 and 20 when the pin 10 is riding rom the hump onto one ofthe baythe conducting wires and their terminals is also reduced to aminimum Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new The combination witha tubular shell; of

a connecting plug assembled with one end of the shell to havelongitudinal movement relatively to the shell and be prevented fromhaving rotary movement respecting the shell; a termnal'contact memberupon the plug; a contact carrier within the shell and having a contactmember supported thereby; a second contact carrier assembled with andwithin the shell between the aforesaid contact carrier and the plug; acontact member provided upon the second contact carrier and includingtwo contacts respectively engageable with and separable from the contactmember upon the plug and the first contact carrier; a slot in the end ofthe shell where the second contact carrier is disposed, the slot havingtwo seats; a pin entering said slot and a slot formed longitudinally inthe second contact carrier; and a cap assembled with the shell andmovable lon itudinally thereof and adapted to turn wit respect thereto,said ca being in actuating relation with the pin, w ereby the secondcarrier is turned with the cap, the seats and the contacts being sorelated that the contacts upon the second contact carrier serve to closecircuit when the pin is in one of its seats and are in open circuit whenthe pin is in the other one of its seats.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

